


Expendable

by BunnyBob



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Blood, Death, M/M, belted it hardcore, does anyone even read these, man i cant believe i made this in like 2 days, so much fucking angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2018-04-11
Packaged: 2019-04-21 10:15:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14282739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BunnyBob/pseuds/BunnyBob
Summary: “This is an order,” the Zora Prince spoke, slowly dragging himself upright once more. The stern sound of his tone was still so utterly unfamiliar as Link listened, despite that he’d now heard it so many times. Sidon kept his voice low, trying his best to maintain some steadiness through the overwhelming pain he was feeling, but he sounded no less powerful while he issued his command. “Do not allow these Yiga clansmen to take the Champion. Protect him... with your life, if necessary.”Brivere’s skillful neutrality hid away whatever emotion he felt at such an order, yet as his lips parted to reply, his voice got lost for a hesitant instant. Sentimentality, heartbreak, wistful, regretful longings were all irrelevant, because the golden Zora had a duty to perform, and it was one he would do without question, gladly…Still, there it was again- the choice, so painfully clear, so blatant and goddamn merciless. Between himself and the Hylian, one life was meant to be protected at all costs, whereas the other was… expendable.(An alternate timeline for Coma Baby, follows the events right after Chapter 51. This is a similar thing to Going Home, another fanfic I made for Coma Baby.)





	Expendable

**Author's Note:**

  * For [BanishedOne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BanishedOne/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Coma Baby](https://archiveofourown.org/works/10493943) by [BanishedOne](https://archiveofourown.org/users/BanishedOne/pseuds/BanishedOne). 



> This is a fanfiction for a fanfiction called Coma Baby by BanishedOne on AO3 (tumblr: @banishfics / @banishedone). If you like a grumpy Link and really well developed, deep characters and an amazing take on the political structure of the Zora Domain, then definitely check out Coma Baby! It’s a long read and still going on, but the writing and descriptions are superb and it just means more great content.
> 
> I post memes and fics for Coma Baby on my tumblr bunnyb0b, you can chat with me any time about anything!
> 
> This bonus chapter was not beta read, so prepare for trash and mistakes lmao. Also i belted it out as fast as i could before chapter 52 came out

Brivere quickly ran down the steps of the prince’s tower, both out of a sense of urgency to get the Hylian Champion to safety and also to avoid looking at the limp bodies of his fallen comrades that were strewn about the stairway. Still, his efforts were in vain, as his hardened golden eyes still lingered for too long on the copious amount of blood spilled on the gemstone steps, pooling underneath of the bodies of Zora that he had personally trained for years before this horrid night had instantly taken them all away.

It wasn’t as if he was close to any of them, or really knew a single knight past a professional persona for that matter. Still, the soft, sympathetic side of the toughened golden knight still silently mourned for every single one of them, knowing that each fallen Zora had at least _one_ person who was still outside of this whole mess, someone who loved them so dearly, someone who truly valued them for who they were…

Or perhaps the First Knight was mourning for himself, having no one like that in his own life.

At least, not anymore.

“Where the hell are we going, asshole?” Link spat, snapping the golden knight out of his thoughts. “You just bolted out of the room without saying me anything other than to follow you!”

Brivere glared at the Hylian from over his shoulder. “Do not be so ungrateful.” he shot back as the two of them flew down the blood-drenched steps of the prince’s tower. “My lord ordered me to protect you. I am simply bringing you to the Basilica so that I can help my fellow comrades bring order back to our domain without _you_ getting in the way.”

“I’d be far more useful helping Bazz fight rather than cowering under the surface while your whole damn domain is in chaos.”

“As I said, without _you_ getting in the way.”

Both of them scowled at each other before focusing their attention back on their surroundings, trying not to slip on the pools of blood and watching out for more Yiga Clan warriors. Just because the Knight Captain was ordered to protect the helpless Hylian, that didn’t mean that he had to like it, nor did it mean that they had to act like they could actually tolerate each other. As far as Brivere was concerned, his only goal was to get the Hylian Champion to the Basilica so that he could return and help the rest of the Zora military regain control of the domain.

And when both of them shot out of the prince’s tower, it became clear that he needed to do so as fast as possible.

The Uppercity was in complete turmoil. Despite the Zora Domain being known for its vast water system and its metal infrastructures, several large fires were visible from different parts of the city. It appeared that large piles of stacked corpses were set ablaze, and even helpless Zora citizens were desperately running around as they burned alive.

The atmosphere was thick with smoke and gut wrenching screams that pierced the air, all of it coming together in a roaring crescendo that threatened to tear the golden knight’s mind apart in its intensity. Every inch of the blood soaked streets seemed to be covered in Zora, either dead or alive, the Yiga Clan imposters impossible to tell apart from the real citizens of the domain. Even from this far away, Brivere could hear the clanging metal of weapons slamming together and the shouts of several Knights of the First Order trying to give orders to the Zora military.

“Hylian Champion, we must go immediately.” the Knight Captain said, his voice unnaturally steady in a way that didn’t fit the chaotic situation at all as he turned to sprint towards the safety of the Basilica.

However, he was stopped in his tracks when the Hylian he was supposed to be protecting didn’t move. Frustrated, Brivere whirled around to find Link standing far behind him, arms crossed. “Off to the Basilica?!” the Hylian shouted, his icy blue eyes matching the blazing fires in front of them. “We can’t fucking go now! The domain is in turmoil, and all you can think of is yourself?!”

The Knight Captain narrows his eyes and rushed back over to the Hylian Champion, harshly grabbing onto the front of his tunic to force him to look into the golden knight’s furious eyes. “The only selfish one here is _you_.” Brivere hissed, venom dropping off of his sharp tongue. “Do not forget that the Yiga Clan is only here because of _you_. You are the last person I wish to protect, but it was my lord’s orders and I have no intention of allowing someone such as yourself to get in the way of my duties.”

Letting go of Link’s blue tunic, Brivere instead harshly yanked on the Hylian’s arm, quickly dragging Link along as he ran in the direction of the Basilica. “And I would be helping my fellow comrades at this very moment if I wasn’t ordered to protect _you_ , the cause of this whole mess, so do not accuse _me_ of being the selfish one, Hylian Champion.” he snapped over his shoulder.

Link’s eyebrows furrowed, a deadly glare boring a hole into the back of the Knight Captain’s head tail, but there was clearly no room for argument. The two of them silently ran away from Sidon’s tower across the bridge, jumping over the bodies that littered its stone architecture. Brivere tried not to think too hard about it, not allowing himself to wonder if the corpses were fellow Zora or just Yiga Clansmen still in disguise, even in death.

However, they just barely make it to the main streets of the domain before Brivere abruptly stopped, making the Hylian he was dragging along ram into him. “What the fuck is your problem?!” Link spat, opening his mouth to argue further until a clawed finger stopped him.

“For once in your life, please be silent.” the golden knight hissed, tightly closing his eyes in concentration. The same, strange sensation from earlier had returned. Although he had never seen such mayhem in his life, the chaotic scene unfolding in front of the Knight Captain seemed all too familiar for reasons that he couldn’t fathom. He had paid witness to this before, watching it all play out in hundreds of different ways, but only a few of them would lead to the victory that he so desperately needed for the sake of his beloved domain.

The feeling of someone harshly pulling on his arm yanked the golden knight out his thoughts and his eyes snapped open to glare down at the man he absolutely loathed. “Are you fucking losing it or something?!” Link shouted in his face. “We don’t have time for your bullshit!”

“I do not believe so…” Brivere grunted in response, his words trailing off, unable to fully explain what he was experiencing. “Let us go, then.”

Both of them ran off, shoving through stampeding crowds of Zora citizens and soldiers alike, all of them impossible to tell apart from the disguised Yiga Clansmen. The Knight Captain desperately wanted to help, willing to do anything to aid his comrades who were fighting off the chaos, but his beloved prince’s orders were absolute. They were his top priority, no matter the demand, no matter the situation.

However, Brivere’s undying loyalty to the prince slightly wavered as the strange yet familiar feeling came back again. He darted off to the side, out of the way of the clashing weapons in the streets, forcing the Hylian Champion to follow after him.

Collapsing against a metal railing, the Knight Captain clutched at his head and softly groaned, his eyes quickly switching between shutting tightly and opening wide, wildly darting around as he scanned the pandemonium erupting around him.

None of this made any sense. He was seeing things that clearly weren’t there, yet he was absolutely certain that they should be. And then moments later, they would appear, acting out the scene that just played in his head moments before, everything falling exactly into place as he had seen it.

Brivere saw a Zora, who was actually a Yiga Clansmen in disguise, sneak up behind a guard and slit his throat. However, when the golden knight actually found the guardsmen just a few yards away from him, the other Zora was perfectly fine only to suddenly die just a few seconds later in the exact way that the Knight Captain had just seen in his mind.

This phenomenon happened numerous times, too many for the golden knight to fully wrap his head tail around, completely unable to comprehend just what the hell was happening. Was he finally losing his mind, snapping from the pressure and stress that had built up ever since things went downhill right after his fight with the Hylian Champion?

Or was this something else?

“Brivere!” Link screamed, roughly shaking the golden knight’s shoulders. From the mixture of frustration and concern on the Hylian Champion’s face, it was clear that Link had been trying to get his attention the whole time. “Are you fucking okay or not?!”

He opened his mouth to reply, but the words were caught in his throat as his head snapped to the side, peering over the railing he was leaning on. It was happening again. In his mind, yet as if it was happening right in front of him, Brivere saw a swarm of disguised Yiga Clansmen burst out of a building on the bridge below them, completely taking all of the guard in this area by surprise and overwhelming them to the point of helpless defeat.

However, when his eyes focused on the place where his delusions were taking place, he saw no one. The domain was filled with bridges that crossed over one another in intricate patterns, supporting different buildings of the Upper City. But the bridge below them was completely empty, so far away from the chaos above that not one Zora, disguised or real, was down there.

And then realization it hit him like a blow to the stomach, making him double over and begin to wildly cough in disbelief, hacking up his lungs as all of the air left his trembling body.

“Fuck, Brivere!” Link shouted, trying to steady the golden knight. “What the fuck is happening to you?!”

Shaking off the nausea that washed over him, Brivere donned on his infamous emotionless mask, hiding away the uncertainty that gnawed at the bottom of his stomach. “It is difficult to explain.” he grunted, staggering back onto his feet. “Just help me find the Guard Captain.”

The Hylian stared after Brivere with wide eyes as he began to stumble away. “You can’t go out there like this!” Link cried, reeling the golden Zora back over to him. “And I thought that you wanted to take me to the Basilica!”

“I will!” Brivere snapped, ripping himself out of the Hylian’s grasp. “I just… I have a horrible feeling that something is going to happen. I need to tell the Guard Captain _now_.”

The foreign sensation came back to him again, clouding his vision with more scenes of things that hadn’t happened yet. They flashed in his mind before allowing him to focus on a certain thread of events, following them to see the Guard Captain suddenly burst through the crowd, spear wildly swinging about while loud commands to other soldiers ripped out of the black Zora’s throat.

“Please.” Brivere begged, against his pride. “I know that you and I do not have the best past with each other, and that I am making absolutely no sense right now… But please, I beg you to wait here with me.”

Link was thrown off by the sincerity in the golden Zora’s voice, which was usually used to throw insult after insult at the Hylian. Nodding, Link leaned against the railing. Both of them were itching to throw themselves into the battle unfolding right in front of them, but if Brivere was right, then they weren’t in a good position to start fighting other people.

“Shouldn’t we go look for him?” Link asked hesitantly, his icy blue eyes darting around, growing increasingly more doubtful of the Knight Captain’s strange behavior.

Brivere shook his head. “No. He is going to come in from over there.” the golden Zora said, pointing at an archway that led into the chaotic pavilion they were trapped in.

The Hylian snapped his head to look at Brivere in disbelief. “What?” he laughed incredulously. “How the hell do you know wh-!”

“ALL GUARDS FALL IN!” the Guard Captain’s voice boomed, his rough voice ringing off of the buildings near them. Link and Brivere watched as his spear pierced through the crowd, slicing them all down as if they were simply crops ready for harvest. The Guard Captain and several dozen Zora guards closed in, fighting and shoving the crowd of invaders as real Zora citizens screamed and ran away.

Link’s jaw dropped open, shocked that the Knight Captain’s prediction had come true. However, the Hylian had no time to ask about it as Brivere bolted forward, running at the Guard Captain with his arms desperately waving around.

“Guard Captain!” the golden knight shouted, catching his attention. “I have something urgent to warn you about!”

The Guard Captain sighed and signaled for the rest of his guards to fan out and continue fighting. “What now? Everything else has already gone to shit.” he bitterly laughed.

Brivere quickly stopped and pointed back to where the Hylian was standing, who was still paralyzed against the railing the two of them were waiting against just moments before. “There is a bridge below this area.” the Knight Captain quickly explained. “A building is there that has stairways leading up to here. There is going to be a flood of Yiga Clansmen that will take over the bridge and come up here, overwhelming our forces and claiming victory over this sector of the Domain. We need to concentrate our forces there in order to prevent this from happening.”

“And how do I know that he and you aren’t Yiga Clansmen in disguise and this is all just a trap?” the Guard Captain growled, pointing his spear to the golden knight’s face when he remembered that it was impossible to trust _anyone_ in their current situation.

Unimpressed, Brivere stared down the weapon at the black Zora. “Because that means that they would have killed me and the Hylian Champion first for their heinous masks.” he said curtly. “And I _do_ hope that you have more faith in our capabilities than that.”

Hesitantly, the Guard Captain nodded, lowering his spear as both of them jogged over to the railing that Link was still collapsed against. The black Zora peered over the edge, frowning when all he saw was an empty bridge, devoid of any sign of life.

“Where did you get your information from?” the Guard Captain asked slowly, focusing back on the golden knight in disbelief as the other guards began to gather around, waiting for more commands from their leader.

Brivere gulped. “It is hard to explain.” he said in an unsteady voice that was rare for the stoic knight.

He and Link flinched when the Guard Captain slammed the end of his spear onto the gemstone ground. “I cannot just send our men down there for nothing!” the black Zora spat, clearly fed up at this point. “We have no time or resources for a wild Cucco chase when the rest of our domain is crumbling into ruins!”

“No, please, we need to send our men down there before the swarm of Yiga Clansmen overpower us!” Brivere pleaded.

The Guard Captain crossed his arms, absolutely pissed. It didn’t help that he and the Knight Captain already had a difficult past with each other, but with everything in their domain going to the Calamity in a handbasket, he didn’t have the time nor patience to humor the golden Zora’s demands. “Then you better give a clear explanation as to why, _now_.” he scowled.

Brivere froze. He couldn’t say it. Considering his convoluted parentage, there was a strong possibility that he had gained his so-called father’s ability. Of course, he had always believed his mother when she told him that the late First Knight was his father, but the revelation was happening too soon, too quickly to have the confidence that he usually did. There was no doubt that if he told the Guard Captain, and it turned out that he was wrong and just wasted their dwindling time and strength, then he would be mocked and disregarded even worse than he usually was.

But for the sake of his domain, for his citizens… for his beloved prince…

“Knight Captain!” the Guard Captain snapped.

“I believe that I am having visions of the future!” Brivere blurted out, immediately regretting his words the second they came out his mouth.

Everyone within hearing distance instantly flinched and snapped their heads to gawk at the Knight Captain. The Guard Captain, on the other hand, turned to walk away in disgust. “I cannot believe that _now_ , of all times, you would sink so low as to abuse our current weak state to try and benefit your own selfish desires.” the black Zora spat over his shoulder.

Numbly shaking his head, Brivere stared after him. “No, I am aware that it is hard to comprehend!” he cried out, reaching after the retreating Guard Captain. “But I swear on Hylia above that I am not making it up! I truly believe that-!”

“And we are to trust someone like _you_?!” the Guard Captain roared, spinning around the glare at the golden Zora. “You are absolutely delusional! We do not have time to deal with this!”

“But I-!”

“No!” the Guard Captain yelled, pointing an accusatory finger at the Knight Captain. “You are nothing but a cursed Zora that wreaks destruction on everything around him! I will not allow you to drag down our glorious domain any longer, so I demand that you relent already!”

With a huff, the Guard Captain turned to leave, but not without shouting out more orders to the other guards. “Everyone else, do not pay attention to any of his delusions!” he harshly barked. “All of you are to obey my commands only! Now spread out and try to regain control of this situation!”

“Yes sir!” they all shouted back, glancing in mockery and disbelief at the Knight Captain, who continued to numbly stand there in defeat.

“And _you_.” the Guard Captain hissed, focusing back on Brivere. “Just what have _your_ orders been, if you even have any?”

Fighting against the heat rising in his chest, which was a disgusting mix of both frustration and embarrassment, the Knight Captain maintained his usual blank face. “My lord has commanded me to protect the Hylian Champion with my life.”

“Then do so, so that you actually have a purpose for once.”

And with that, the Guard Captain turned on his heel and ran off, shouting more orders as he tried to restore order to this chaotic sector of the domain.

“Hylian Champion.” Brivere said through gritted teeth, not looking at the Hylian standing behind him as he glared after the disappearing Guard Captain. “I was ordered to protect you, but I need your help in order to properly do so.”

The Knight Captain turned to find Link with his hands on his hips, a smirk dancing across his lips and a shit eating gleam in his intense blue eyes. “You want me to go down there with you and fight off the Yiga Clansmen you “predict” are going to come, correct?”

Nodding, the golden knight sighed. “I know that there is not much reason to believe me, but-!”

“Look, I don’t know if I believe or even understand this future vision bullshit,” Link began, already starting to jog to the stairs leading to the bridge down below, “But as far as I’m concerned, _anything_ beats hiding out in the Basilica like a coward.”

Rolling his eyes, Brivere quickly scooped the Hylian into his arms before jumping over the railing without hesitation.

“I fucking take it back you asshole!” Link shouted, clutching onto the golden knight for dear life as they plummeted to the bridge below. However, Brivere gracefully landed onto its gemstone tiles, roughly throwing the Hylian down onto the bridge with a grunt.

Link scrambled onto his feet, whirling around to scowl at the golden knight. “This is why no one ever wants to fuckin help you.” he spat, stomping off to the building that Brivere had warned the Guard Captain about earlier.

Brivere sighed and followed after him. Perhaps that was true, but at the same time, the Hylian was really just playing along so that he could please his bloodlust and put off having to hide in the Basilica for safety, which any other person would have been begging on their knees for in the domain’s current state.

Still, help _was_ help, even if it was coming from a selfish, ungrateful bastard like the so-called Hylian Champion.

“So I get that you’re desperate enough to ask someone like _me_ for help,” Link said sarcastically, standing in front of the seemingly empty building, “But aren’t you supposed to protect me too? If you want me to fight against these bastards you claim are coming, you know that there _is_ a chance that I can get captured, right?”

“I am aware.” Brivere grunted back as he stood next to the Hylian Champion, peering into the darkness within the building while he waited for his visions of the future to become the present. “However, I also have confidence in my ability to protect you even as we fight. And as much as I hate to admit it, you are at least competent enough to keep yourself alive.”

Link snorted at the backhanded compliment, tempted to say a snarky reply that was typical of him, but instead tightened his grasp on the sickle that Brivere had tossed him earlier after defeating its owner in Prince Sidon’s room. At the same time, the Knight Captain reached his hand behind his head, clutching his clawed fingers around the hilt of the longsword hanging off of his broad back.

Meanwhile, up above, the Guard Captain’s Lieutenant had witnessed them jump over the railing and watched the two in concern as they prepared for a threat that would seemingly never come. “Guard Captain?!” the Lieutenant yelled out, not looking away from the rogue Knight Captain and Hylian Champion below him.

The Guard Captain whirled around, glaring at his Lieutenant. “What is happening _now_?” he asked impatiently.

The other Zora just pointed beyond the railing, down to the bridge below, not even having to say anything for rage to consume the stressed Guard Captain as he threw himself against and leaned over the metal bars, glaring at the audacious golden knight and sympathizing for his poor Hylian friend that had been dragged into Brivere’s fantasies of grandeur.

“Knight Captain!” the black Zora roared over the railing. “Get back up here with the Hylian Champion _immediately_!”

Brivere flinched at the harsh edge in the Guard Captain’s orders, but other than that, he didn’t move to go back. Instead, he shifted his golden frame into a battle stance, sinking his weight into the cold gemstone tiles of the bridge. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Hylian Champion hesitate, glancing up at the furious Guard Captain, but eventually following Brivere in preparing himself for an impending fight, if it ever even came at all.

“Knight Captain, you will cease this foolishness at once!” the Guard Captain shouted from high above, becoming more and more enraged the longer the stubborn golden knight refused to listen.

Against the Guard Captain’s demands, Brivere whipped his silver scale longsword off of its weapon strap and pointed it towards the opening of the building in front of him. Although it was an exact replica of his mother’s, which he had broken in order to save his younger brother, it felt strange and awkward in his hands. Still, he would be able to fight with it well enough to protect himself and, against his own desires, the Hylian Champion.

Link again mimicked his movements, albeit with hesitance in every shift of his muscles. He slowly extended the sickle clutched in his hands, pointing its sharp edge at the opening of the building that appeared to be completely abandoned.

Above them, the Guard Captain clawed at his head in frustration and groaned. This was going nowhere. To Bazz, the golden knight had completely snapped, and apparently intended to take the Hylian Champion and the rest of the domain down along with whatever was left of his sanity.

“There is no fucking time for this.” the Guard Captain scowled to himself as he launched his sore body over the railing, quickly landing on the bridge that the stubborn Knight Captain and the Hylian Champion were tensely standing on. Link tentatively turned towards the black Zora, indecision flashing in his blue eyes as they darted between the Guard Captain and the Knight Captain.

“Brivere!” the Guard Captain barked, sprinting towards the two of them. “Your insolence will not go unpunished! The second this is all over I will inform Prince Sidon of-!”

He was cut off by a chorus of cries that pierced the air, matched with the thundering noise of countless footsteps swelling to a rumbling crescendo that made the whole bridge slightly tremble. The three of them were forced to focus on the source of it all, intensely staring at the opening of the building as a wave of Zoras flooded out of it.

Everything was playing out exactly as Brivere had envisioned it just minutes ago. If he hadn’t been struck by a vision of the future, he would have assumed that this stampeding crowd of Zora were just terrified citizens trying to run away from all of the chaos going on. However, he was now aware of the Yiga Clan weapons clutched in their hands and the bloodlust in their eyes paired with a sinister smirk that warped their fraudulent Zora faces.

And if he, the Hylian Champion, and the Guard Captain weren’t there to try and stop the murderous pack of invaders, there was no doubt that they would have taken the guards above them by surprise and easily overwhelmed the Zora military in this sector of the domain.

A furious battle cry ripped Brivere’s throat apart as he lunged forward, mercilessly swinging his longsword into the crowd of enemies and cutting through their bodies as if they were nothing but open air. Link jumped into the battle right next to him, grunting and shouting as he plunged his weapon into countless fake Zora. Behind him, he heard the Guard Captain yelp in surprise and disbelief, quickly snapping out of his shock to loudly call for reinforcements before swiftly impaling some of the enemies with his silver scale spear.

But before backup could come, the three of them were on their own. At the very least, they were some of the best warriors in the Zora Domain, if not all of Hyrule.

This was quickly displayed when the two Zora captains and the Hylian Champion threw themselves into the throng of disguised clansmen, expertly slicing through each false Zora with their respective weapons. Although the three of them were extremely outnumbered, they were definitely more skilled, seeing how not one of them died as more and more dead, revoltingly disguised Yiga Clansmen piled up at their feet.

And perhaps those masks and disguises played to Brivere’s advantage as he relentlessly arced his blade into them. At first, when they had first appeared on the bridge leading to Prince Sidon’s tower, it was extremely unsettling, forced to mow down people who looked exactly like him and the people he cared about without fully knowing if they were Yiga Clansmen or not. But now, with the sickening crunch under his blade and the swish of blood flying through the air, the whole experience felt incredible to such a degree that even Brivere was frightened by his own bloodlust.

He was drinking in every moment of it, getting drunk off of how it was just so easy, _too_ easy, to completely slice through another Zora, even if they weren’t real. Brivere could never admit it, not even to himself, but maybe he didn’t even really realize that they were Yiga Clansmen in disguise. Perhaps deep down, in the darkest depths of his golden frame…each Zora to him was real, despite everything, even his visions, telling him otherwise.

They were the people who taunted him and his family in the streets as he grew up, they were the nobles who refused to acknowledge the possible connection between him and the late First Knight Prion, they were every single Zora who ever looked down on him, ever doubted him, ever told him that he was wrong, stupid, incapable…

Each fake Zora he killed was just another person that had tormented him ever since his birth, and over a century of repressed rage and fury poured into his muscles, making up for each moment he was forced to hide his emotions behind an indifferent mask for the sake of not giving his oppressors the satisfaction of seeing the pain they inflicted upon him.

Brivere became an unrelenting force, an unforgiving god that wreaked judgement upon these poor souls, refusing to give any form of mercy as his longsword swung through their fragile bodies. Even the Guard Captain and the Hylian Champion were slightly thrown off by the golden beast that mowed through the herd of fake Zora with ease, gawking at the Knight Captain who was killing more enemies than either of the two could properly take on.

His unforgiving blows soon faltered when the visions played back in his head, forcing him to snap out of his bloodthirsty stupor and refocus on his prince’s commands.

“Hylian Champion!” Brivere screamed, launching himself over several Yiga Clansmen that dove at him, “Move to your left and duck!”

In any other circumstance, Link definitely wouldn’t have listened to the uptight golden knight. But with the knowledge that Brivere had the ability to see the future, he obeyed and did as he was told just as a Yiga Clansmen snuck up behind him and swung down their sickle, its sharp point piercing the stone where he was just standing.

This happened again several times as the battle raged on, an endless flood of false Zoras flowing out of the building’s gaping maw, Brivere having a series of visions that he would shout out to save the Hylian Champion. And although they were doing fine, albeit exhausted and injured beyond relief, it was clear that they were going to soon be overwhelmed even as real Zora reinforcements finally arrived.

However, perhaps even the goddess Hylia herself decided that enough was enough, as a vision soon struck Brivere in his mind’s eye, showing him a perfect set of events that could secure their victory in such a forlorn battle.

“Guard Captain!” the golden knight shouted over the chaos, “Order everyone to shove them over the bridge and into the water under us!”

If it wasn’t for the knowledge that the Knight Captain _did_ indeed have the ability to see the future, the Guard Captain certainly wouldn’t have listened to such a ridiculous request. But he quickly turned and shouted out the command anyways, not even batting an eye when the golden knight launched himself over the railing and plunged into the dark waters below.

Brivere quickly resurfaced, eyeing the ridiculous sight of fake Zoras being redirected and cornered, forced to fall off of the bridge and plummet into the water with him. Although the Yiga Clansmen had stolen the Zora’s likeness, it appeared that they did not inherit the Zora’s water capabilities, considering how all of them floundered and drowned in the deep water of the Zora Domain.

The Knight Captain made sure that each false Zora was in the water before diving back under its surface, as he only had enough energy to perform his signature move once more this night. He was already worn out by the events leading up to this moment: using his ability twice earlier, the fight with the Hylian Champion, cutting down hordes of fake Zora, the heartbreak of the prince’s harsh commands…

Too much has happened too soon in such a little amount of time, yet the golden knight still furiously kicked around underwater despite the adrenaline draining away from his worn out body. He quickly swam around in large circles, and to his allies gawking at him from the bridge above, the Knight Captain became a vicious blur, an unholy halo that mercilessly spun and glowed under the harsh moonlight overhead.

His strong movements warped the water, forcing it to swirl around and cave into itself, dragging along the numerous fake Zora in its powerful currents. The whirlpool he made grew bigger and bigger, the screams of confused, disguised Yiga Clansmen coming to a climax as they were pulled into the vortex’s center and sucked underwater.

And there, in the cold depths of the dark waters, Brivere continued to rocket around in circles, swiftly arcing his body in a way that only years of practice could perfect. He avoided the drowning fake Zora around him, quickly ducking around their flailing bodies as they were trapped in the swirling hell hole that he had created.

Brivere only stopped his merciless torment when none of the disguised Yiga Clansmen moved other than their limp bodies helplessly spinning around in his whirlpool. When he was absolutely certain that they had all drowned, the Knight Captain dove down to the bottom of his ungodly creation, becoming a golden bolt of lightning that shot up its center, ignoring the currents that ripped at his scales and begged him to turn back.

To everyone on the bridge above, a column of water burst out of the vortex’s middle, carrying the Knight Captain high through the air. Roughly halfway up its length, the golden knight sliced out of his watery prison, flipping through the air before ungracefully flopping onto the gemstone pavement not far away from everyone else. Brivere’s chest was desperately heaving in exhaustion but he knew that this was absolutely not the right time to catch his breath. His golden eyes fearfully darted around, and to his surprise, relief flooded through his body when he found the Hylian Champion standing there, a little bloodied and injured but _alive_ nonetheless.

The Knight Captain just had to remind himself that he was more concerned about following his prince’s orders rather than the actual wellbeing of the wretched Hylian.

Quickly helping Brivere up, the Guard Captain worriedly examined his body as the real Zora guard reinforcements hesitantly hung back. “Are you alright, Knight Captain?” Bazz asked, clutching onto the golden knight’s arm to steady him.

Brivere curtly grunted and nodded his head in response, ripping himself out of the black Zora’s grasp. After all of the doubt, the humiliation, the vitriol, the Guard Captain _dared_ to pretend to actually care about his wellbeing?

The Guard Captain caught onto this as well and awkwardly cleared his throat, forcing himself to make sorrowful eye contact with the golden knight. “Knight Captain, I am deeply sorry and regretful for doubting you as well as for the harsh statements I had made earlier.” he said quietly, bending his body into an uncharacteristically respectful bow to the Knight Captain.

More than anything, Brivere just wanted to refuse the black Zora’s empty words, his clenched fists tempted to just slam into the Guard Captain’s face for his audacity. However, the more professional side of him won over, stuffing his fury away underneath his usual mask of indifference. “As you said, there is no time for this, Guard Captain.” Brivere said bluntly, waving away the black Zora’s apologies. “We need to keep moving and restore order to our domain.”

“R-right.” the Guard Captain responded weakly, clearly embarrassed by his past actions. After a moment of hesitation, he sheepishly spoke up, anxious to ask a favor of the golden knight after their tense altercation earlier. “Do you think that you can use your ability again to sense any further dangers we should be aware of?”

Brivere couldn’t bite back a snarky response before it shot off of his sharp tongue. “Oh, so _now_ you have faith in my powers?” he laughed bitterly.

“Please, Knight Captain,” the black Zora pleaded, surprising the golden knight with the sincere regret in his voice. “I am so sorry for what I have done and said in the past. And I am _so_ sorry of everything that has happened to you because of doubt in regards to your parentage. But I beg of you, if you will not do it for me, then do it for the sake of this domain, for the sake of Prince Sidon.”

The mention of the prince instantly won Brivere over, making him sigh as he bobbed his head up and down in agreement. “I understand. However, it is also on my prince’s orders that I escort the Hylian Champion to safety.” he quickly explained. “I will bring him to the Basilica first then immediately come back to assist however I can.”

Against his frustration and better judgement, Brivere gazed at the defeated Guard Captain with pity, who looked desperate enough to drop onto his knees and beg at the golden knight’s feet for any form of help available to him. It made complete sense too, which neither of them could deny considering the hopelessness of their situation. Out of nowhere, their glorious domain was crumbling down into chaos, their forces were dwindling in strength and numbers, the citizens they were supposed to protect being slaughtered by ruthless invaders disguised to look exactly like them. And unknown to Brivere, yet all too real to the Guard Captain, a mass exodus of Undercity citizens was occurring just outside of their walls, using the chaos to hide their retreat, meaning that they knew of or were possibly even _involved_ in the devastating Yiga Clan attack.

However, the Guard Captain knew that he was in no position to argue. He could have easily just offered for someone else to escort the Hylian Champion so that the Knight Captain would stay and use his abilities to finally give them _some_ sort of advantage in their hopeless situation, but Bazz also knew that the dedicated knight would never agree to it. Brivere would only be satisfied if he properly carried his prince’s orders down to the letter, completing the demands made of him with his own strength and tenacity.

“Alright.” the Guard Captain said as he weakly nodded, already beginning to jog back to the other guards that tensely stayed out of their conversation. “Just… please, _hurry_. And I beg you, keep my close friend safe.”

The Knight Captain solemnly nodded, but he had no intent of protecting the Hylian Champion for the man who had mocked and humiliated him time and time again. Nor did he intend to protect Link for the sake of his own wellbeing. The selfish, ungrateful, toxic Hylian didn’t deserve such worry from Brivere, nor his prince, but apparently the Knight Captain was wrong about that last part.

If it were up to him, the golden knight would have just left the Hylian behind at this point. If Link couldn’t survive a simple Yiga Clan attack, then there was no way he could fight against and defeat the Calamity, no matter _what_ the legends said.

No, the only thing that motivated Brivere to guide Link through the winding streets of the domain was his dedication to the prince, to the point that it was absolutely pathetic on his end. At first, he only obeyed the prince because it was part of his duty when he had first became Knight Captain years ago, but now?

He would follow Sidon’s words to his own grave if asked to.

The golden knight had a vice grip on the Hylian Champion’s arm, making sure that Link didn’t get caught up in any unnecessary bloodshed as they sprinted towards the Basilica. To Brivere’s surprise, it became easier and easier to use his visions as a guide, possibly encouraged by the stress and hopelessness of their situation. Using his ability, he was able to map out the perfect route to the open water that led to the Basilica, avoiding the worst concentrations of violence and ducking into the shadows of several alleys.

Finally, Brivere and the Hylian Champion made it to the edge of the water that was right above the Basilica, which was sunk into the deepest depths of the domain. If he were escorting a Zora, then both of them could have easily just swam to the bottom and the golden knight would finally be rid of the man he absolutely despised. However, even in this situation, it appeared that Link continued to make things more difficult for him as Hylians didn’t have _any_ underwater breathing capabilities at all.

As a result, Brivere was forced to drag the Hylian Champion towards a small metal contraption that hung above the water by a creaking chain. It was basically a large metal bell, used in the rare instances that non-Zora had to be transported down to the Basilica. The invention wasn’t comfortable by any means, as it only relied on trapping a large air bubble inside of itself to allow the person to breathe while they stood on a rickety metal gate. In the unlikely event that the chain snapped, or water ended up flooding inside anyways, the victim would be trapped inside of the metal prison hundreds of miles under the surface of the water with no means to get back to proper air in time.

But hey, that was fairly improbable. Probably.

“Is there any other way to get down to the Basilica?” Link asked warily, eyeing the diving bell as if it would toll the knell for his untimely drowning.

Brivere rolled his eyes and shoved the Hylian Champion towards the metal contraption. “No, a Hylian like you has no other option unless you would like to swim the whole way down there.” he said impatiently, gesturing for Link to hurry up. “And you wish to face the Calamity, yet you are scared of a simple diving bell?”

“It’s not the fucking same asshole, you wouldn’t get it.” Link hissed back, his annoyance at the golden knight dominating his claustrophobia and anxiety as he stuffed himself inside of the diving bell. The Knight Captain grunted, pleased that the Hylian was finally listening for once, if only to spite him.

Brivere moved to shut the diving bell and lower its chain into the depths of the domain’s waters, but froze instead, the strange visions suddenly blossoming again in his mind’s eye, flickering through his vision like a dying candlelight.

The Knight Captain saw a Yiga Clansman, running around disguised as a normal Zora, searching for someone in particular and spotting them across the bridge, getting into a diving bell. The Clansmen, in a desperate attempt to capture the Hylian Champion, fired a series of shock arrows in their direction.

There were too many outcomes for the careful golden knight to properly comprehend. In too many instances, Link was impaled by at least one arrow, and in others, Brivere would shut the metal gate only for the Hylian Champion to get shocked anyways because of the metal and water surrounding him. And in every single one of them, Link was captured by Yiga Clansmen that shot the arrows, all before Brivere could properly fight back.

Yet despite the dwindling options, Brivere did see one path, one set of events, one life altering decision that would seal the Hylian’s safety completely.

He just wasn’t sure if he could actually do it.

However, his decision was quickly made when he spotted the fake Zora in his vision suddenly come around the corner, the cursed bow and arrow in their hands swiftly pointed at the diving bell, a smirk of victory twisted onto their face.

In the heat of the moment, blinded by his visions, recklessly dedicated to his beloved prince, the Knight Captain dove in front of the diving bell’s entranceway and tightly sealed it with his broad back.

“Brivere, what the hell are-!”

Link’s words were cut off by a cry of pain that erupted out of the Knight Captain as several shock arrows shot into his abdomen, missing their intended target, who was trapped inside of the metal diving bell.

A blazing pain shot through Brivere’s body, who ignored the agonizing feeling of electricity coursing through his veins as he staggered forward. With a roar that could barely express his fury and suffering, he fought against his body’s natural reaction to collapse and give up, instead lunging forward to slice at the disguised Yiga Clan warrior who had shot the arrows. But the second his longsword snapped through their thin neck, Brivere allowed his golden frame to crumple against the ground and finally give into the shock arrow’s deadly influence.

"SHIT!" Link shouted, collapsing onto his knees and grabbing the golden knight's face into his calloused hands. "Fuck, Brivere, stay with me!"

In any other circumstance, the Knight Captain would have glared back or pulled away from this revolting Hylian's grasp. But he was completely unable to do so, since he couldn’t control any part of his body as he seized in Link’s arms.

The Hylian quickly ripped the shock arrows out of Brivere’s abdomen, eliciting a painful sob from the golden knight. However, the suffering was necessary, as it was better to take the arrows out rather than leave them in so that their electricity wouldn’t cause further damage. But as the Knight Captain’s eyes traveled down to his injuries, he instantly knew that it didn’t matter.

No healer or healing potion could fix him; not even Estuu, if he actually still had his ability. All of the skin and scales that made up Brivere’s midsection were burnt and scarred, almost unrecognizable, completely beyond repair as blood hopelessly leaked out of the puncture wounds. The rest of his golden frame was covered burn marks that looked like lightning, shooting across his body in painful, swelling wounds.

It was a miracle that he was still alive, honestly. Shock arrows could certainly hurt Hylians, sure, but they had a more deadly threat to Zoras just from their electricity alone. However, the Knight Captain still had a job to do, and he had no intention of dying without completing his last command from his prince. Mustering up what was left of his strength, the golden knight couldn’t believe that his last words may be to save a man he absolutely despised.

He just had to remind himself that it wasn’t for the wretched Hylian’s sake. It was for Sidon’s, and Sidon’s alone.

"Hylian Champion." Brivere coughed. "Get to safety."

Link shook his head. "Worry about yourself first, asshole."

Confused, the golden knight fought through the blinding pain to glare at the Hylian. There was no _way_ that Link could possibly be concerned for him now, considering their rocky past together. Like _Goron_ levels of rocky. For Hylia's sake, they _just_ beat the shit out of each other on a bridge a few hours ago.

And it would just be too cruel for the man Brivere abhorred most in the world to suddenly care more for his life than his own beloved prince did.

"I had orders to protect you with my life, and so I did." Brivere said through gritted teeth. "But I will not allow _you_ to ruin my duties to the prince. Get to safety, _now_."

Link narrowed his icy blue eyes and scowled. "For a second there, you actually tricked me into not thinking that you weren't so bad."

"Then leave me, if I am so deplorable." Brivere spat back. He paused, a hesitant question trembling on his lips. The Knight Captain absolutely despised asking for help, and in any other situation, he especially wouldn't ask for it from a man he hated more than anything.

However, running out of options as more and more time was wasted, he had no choice. "If you will not get to safety for yourself, then please do it for Estuu." he croaked weakly. "I beg you to take care of him in my place, as I know no one else will."

To his surprise, the Hylian vehemently shook his head. "Not to be selfish or anything, but no." Link growled. "Because you're going to take care of him yourself."

The Hylian suddenly turned and began screaming for a healer, and because Brivere couldn't even feel his body at this point, there was no point in trying to make Link stop. If anything, at this point he may as well just die faster so that the stubborn Hylian Champion would realize how futile this was and finally give up to seek refuge in the Basilica already.

Besides, Brivere wasn't fooled by Link's attempt to help. He was too aware that the Hylian was only doing it because of the prince, and honestly, that was perfectly fine to the Knight Captain. He had only taken the arrow in the first place for the exact same reason, so at least that made things even between the two of them.

Both of them were selfish, egocentric bastards who didn't deserve an ounce of the prince's love and affection, yet one of them was deemed worthy enough for it anyways for reasons that Brivere could _never_ fathom or accept.

The Knight Captain mused that perhaps it was for the best that things went this way. He had always wondered what the point of living was if it just meant prolonging his torment, constantly alone as the main target of everyone's vitriol every second of every day. The only thing that made it all bearable for this long was the addictive affection of his lord, yet the prince's harsh orders earlier that night made it clear that there would be no more of that for the broken golden Zora.

At the very least, going out by protecting the Hylian Champion not only made it seem like he was extremely loyal, but he could possibly be hailed as a hero as well for once in his life. If Brivere could finally be loved, or at least somewhat admired, by the prince in that way, then this would all be worth it.

Even if he wouldn't be around to actually enjoy any of it.

By Hylia's grace, the last few moments didn't hurt. At first, his whole body felt like it was on fire, but soon everything melted away into a numb bliss. Link’s voice shouting for a healer began to fade, the Hylian’s rough hands on his face trying to keep him in this wretched world gradually felt like nothing, his body, his mind, his soul...

None of it mattered. All the Knight Captain was concerned about was if the prince would even care that he had died. Would the man he hopelessly loved even shed a tear? Did Brivere mean something, _anything_ to the red Zora who meant everything to him?

Sidon, the one person Brivere wanted to see more than anything in Hyrule before he slipped away forever into oblivion, to reassure him, to let him gaze into those soft, honey gold eyes that never failed to completely take his breath away.

He begged the goddess above for it at least _one_ last time before he didn’t have any breath left at all.

But as if fate had not spit on the dying golden knight enough already, instead the last thing he saw was the man he despised most in the world, the Hylian whose very existence answered his last question for him.

If all Prince Sidon saw Brivere as was just another disposable knight, a sword and shield meant to be broken on his command, then that meant that the Knight Captain would die that way as well.

**Author's Note:**

> damn why do i always play myself like this  
> literally i want brivere to be happy more than anything in the world but i keep writing him getting hurt like what the fuck  
> it's going home all over again


End file.
